Every year I hang flowering baskets on our front porch.
And every year, a sparrow builds a tiny nest amidst the blooms in one of the hanging baskets, and there she lays her eggs.
It’s always the basket that hangs from the same spot on our porch – right near the corner. We’re not sure if it’s the same spot because it’s the same sparrow family each year, or if it just happens to be an ideal location because of the way the porch shades it or something.
Anyway, because of the nest, we are unable to water the basket and as the little family hatches and grows, the flowers dry up and die, which seems somehow wonderfully symbiotic to me. I’m not sure if symbiosis is the right word, since only the birds benefit from the relationship. I’ll have to ask one of my kids. They go to school. But it’s the whole a time to be born, a time to die thing. When the fledgelings are old enough to leave the nest we replace the basket.
WARNING: VERY SAD STORY AHEAD
Denis drinks his coffee on this porch every morning, and – brace yourself, be prepared to report him to PETA, the National Audubon Society, etc – he has a morning cigarette. Relax. He doesn’t sit in the chair closest to the nest and there’s no proof that second-hand smoke harms bird eggs. Anyway, one morning last week, he was enjoying his coffee and smoke when he heard a little splat. More like a little pat sound, he said. You almost couldn’t hear it at all. But he looked over and there was a tiny egg smashed on the porch. It had fallen from the nest. We think the mother must have laid it too close to the side of the basket.
As Denis watched (in horror), the mother bird flew down to where the egg had smashed and stared at it. Then she fluttered up to the nest for a moment, then flew back down to the smashed egg. Denis said it looked like any egg that you might break – the baby hadn’t even begun to form. The mother tilted her head and stared at the egg with one eye. Then she tilted her head and stared at the egg with the other! Flew back up to the nest and then back down to have another look. It was like she was trying to make sense of the whole thing.
It appeared to me that Denis was trying not to cry when he told me about this later. Denis cannot go to zoos, HATES circuses and can’t be in the room when Animal Planet is on TV because he can’t bear to see any kind of animal cruelty, and even the cruel laws of nature are sometimes too much for him (me too). People are often surprised to learn this about Denis for some reason.
Anyway, the mother seems to have sorted it all out for herself and the remaining eggs are safe and secure. I’ll post a photo of her babes when they hatch.
the porch is pretty with the flowers, and about denis? its o.k!
Love the photos of the nest…..isn’t springtime wonderful as we witness nature at it’s best. Can’t wait to see the babies!
Here in Central Texas, I have a screech owl nesting in the hollow of an oak tree. Last year we had 3 little ones to watch. Have not yet seen what we have this year – but mom is keeping vigil! When we have had birds nest in hanging baskets – we were able to “water” them before that babies hatched, by putting ice cubes in the basket a little bit away from the nest…….
Thanks so much for sharing……
Sandy
Wow, how did you come up with that ice idea? It’s brilliant. But I’m really afraid to touch the plant at all after the lost egg. How great to have baby owls. I found an injured owl in the woods a few years ago. Incredible animal – somehow the word “bird” doesn’t quite fit the owl -they have those intense, accusatory eyes and that big round face. Gorgeous. Also, we found a young owl next to the road once. Placed it back in the woods nearby, hoping the mom was watching.
The “icing” plants idea comes with living in Texas! Trying to salvage plants in the heat along with helping the birds – is always a challenge. I had a sparrow nest that I started “icing” from the beginning of the nest w/o eggs to 3 little ones….and was able to keep up with it until they fledged. They just got used to me being there daily, and of course, I would only do that when Mom and Dad weren’t around. Although I am sure they were watching! I consider it to be a blessing to help them out! And FUN TOO!
Aw! That’s so sad! But so sweet that he’s like that and I can relate. I think circuses should be illegal, but I can understand zoos if they’re actually helping out somehow with research…but…this summer, my boyfriend wanted to see the new elephant and her baby. I went along after hearing him say something each time a promo was on TV or there was an ad in the paper. I was doing alright, not too pissed off at the cages until we got to the elephant exhibit where the mother and her baby were being walked around in a tent and made to do little tricks. I had to walk away and bitch to myself like a crazy person.
I was watering the hanging plants on our patio. When I watered the Xmas cactus a dove flew out and away. I looked into the nest and saw the 3 babies soaking wet from my hose. A quick patting down with a kitchen towel seemed to remedy the situation. Mom came back and I placed notes around alerting my family about the bird family in the cactus.